Dynamic Chiropractic's 1991 "Man of the Year"

By Editorial Staff

As 1991 comes to a close and we reflect on the chiropractic events of the past year, one individual's name looms prominently -- Scott Haldeman. Few people have influenced the chiropractic profession to the degree that he has.

A look at some of Dr. Haldeman's recent contributions to the profession will convince you of the appropriateness of his receivership of the "Man of the Year" award.

He coordinated the World Chiropractic Scientific Symposium which took place at the World Federation of Chiropractic's (WFC) meeting in Toronto, Canada. The symposium was attended by an international contingent of prominent researchers presenting the 83 papers that were accepted. Dr. Haldeman is the chairman of the Research Council for the WFC.

It shouldn't suprise anyone that Dr. Haldeman was one of the members of the profession who participated on the multidisciplinary panel that was an important part of the widely publicized RAND study. This is the profession's beginning efforts in the development of chiropractic guidelines.

Dr. Haldeman appeared on national TV the night of July 24, 1991 on the program, "CBS News Nightwatch." This media exposure for chiropractic was just one of the outcomes of the RAND project. Dr. Haldeman's presence on "Nightwatch" provided chiropractic with an intelligent and cogent spokesman who brought insight and understanding of chiropractic to a broad spectrum of viewers.

Dr. Haldeman is one of just two DCs who are included on the federally funded Agency for Health Care Policy and Research's (AHCPR) panel on low back pain. His involvement among the 21 health care experts will help ensure that chiropractic's voice will be heard on this landmark panel.

When "20/20" decided to do an investigative story on chiropractic, they interviewed a number of influential representatives of the profession: Dr. Haldeman was among them.

Perhaps the most important chiropractic event for 1992 will be the Mercy Center Conference (January 25-30) to develop guidelines for quality assurance and standards of practice for the chiropractic profession. Can you guess what eminent personnage will chair the conference? If you said Scott Haldeman, your right; if you said someone else, please step to the back of the class. Dr. Haldeman will also be a member of four of the 15 panels of chiropractic "pioneers" involved in the development of the quality assurance guidelines. Dr. Haldeman's presence brings to the conference the experience of a man who has been a member of guideline setting panels for other health care disciplines.

Dr. Haldeman is a prolific author, editor, and primary investigator of papers, books, and research projects. A bibliographical listing of his theses, books, articles, book chapters, abstracts, and epitomes fill 10 pages. His latest publishing effort is in the capacity as editor to many of the world's foremost authorities on lumbosacral disorders in the second edition of the textbook, Chiropractic Principles and Practice.

While Dr. Haldeman's accomplishments are evident to those in the profession who are paying attention, it's fair to say that a great deal of the work that he does for the chiropractic profession occurs "behind the scenes."

Scott Haldeman has received many awards and honors during his distinguished career: valedictorian, Palmer College of Chiropractic, class of January, 1962; Chiropractor of the Year, South African Chiropractors Association, 1968; Research Fellowship, Foundation for Chiropractic Education and Research (FCER), 1975; Researcher of the Year, the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), 1990.

Dr. Haldeman's educational background is intriguing as it is exhaustive. After becoming a D.C., Dr. Haldeman received a B.Sc. (physiology and physics) and a M.Sc. (neurophysiology) from the University of Pretoria; his medical degree and his Ph.D. (neurophysiology) were completed at the University of British Columbia.

Dr. Haldeman has worked extensively with the International Chiropractors Association (ICA), the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), the Canadian Chiropractic Association (CCA), and the South African Chiropractors Association. He is on the editorial boards of the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT), the Journal of the Australian Chiropractic Association, the Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association, the International Chiropractors Association Technical Publication Review Committee, Back Pain Monitor, and Spine.

Looking back over 1991, we're aware of the enormous contribution Scott Haldeman has made and continues to make toward contributing to the progress and viability of the chiropractic profession.

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